


Fading

by orphan_account



Category: South Park
Genre: Demons, M/M, Resurrection, Self-Sacrifice, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 13:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7533823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damien has been reviving Kenny over and over again every time he dies since they were both young. Unfortunately, the power that's bringing Kenny back to life is killing Damien.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fading

**Age 20**

Damien looked down at the mangled body lying in the street. It had been here a few hours at least, but being the middle of the night no one had noticed, or probably would have noticed until dawn. The antichrist had regretted not being here sooner, but his father had given him a few tasks he needed to tend to before the demon “went off to do his own thing” as he had put it. This task, however, was much more important than anything his father could throw at him; this was the task he had given himself years ago.

The task of resurrecting Kenny McCormick.

The demon kneeled down beside the rotting corpse, stuffing the entrails back into the open torso, and looking around for any organs he might have missed. He was sure he’d gotten most of them, but not all. From the looks of it, the blonde had been mauled to death by a wild animal which had probably made of with any guts or meat to eat as a snack. It wasn’t a huge deal-- he could replace the organs easily, it would just require more energy.

The noirette held his hands above the body, a dull red emanating from his palms. Ruby eyes flickered as the corpse began to reconstruct itself; intestines and organs rearranging themselves to their correct positions, the giant hole in the torso closing, and the state of decay reversing itself. If you didn’t know any better, you would have never known that Kenny McCormick had died. Unfortunately for Damien, he _did_ know better, in fact he knew almost too much.

Pulling together Kenny’s body left a strain on Damien’s own, and he fell next the now fresh corpse. The demon felt exhausted, and struggled to catch his breath, staring at Kenny’s pale face shining in the moonlight. He looked so peaceful like this-- like he was only sleeping… If only that were the case. There was a time where the demon could have easily healed Kenny’s body and brought it back to life, unfortunately that time had long passed. He wasn’t as strong as he once was, and his powers almost seemed to diminish by the day.  Despite his muscles screaming in protest, the noirette pushed himself back up on his elbows and climbed back up to stand on his feet. He still had work left to do, he couldn’t stop here.

Waiting for the aching of his muscles to stop, the prince of Hell reached down and picked up the slim body in his arms. Kenny was light, almost frightfully so, and Damien recalled when he had died of hunger once or twice. He would have to keep an eye on the young man’s food rations so he could avoid another death and resurrection…

A black and gray void opened beneath the noirette’s feet, making him and the corpse he was carrying sink into the dark abyss. When they arose again, they were in a room that was all too familiar to Damien. Wallpaper and paint peeled off the walls, various objects and clothes were thrown on the ground, and a worn mattress lay in the middle of the room to serve as a bed. He’d been here far too many times. Even so, the demon laid the fresh corpse on the mattress, and placed of his hands in the middle of it’s chest. Another glow came from the demon’s palms, though this time yellow and brighter. While not the most painful part of the job, this was definitely the most dangerous.

A few moments passed, and the glow died down and vanished. Damien removed his hands from Kenny’s chest, and watched as the man came back to life. The blonde took a sharp intake of breath, air once again entering his lungs, and blood flowing through his veins. A few coughs echoed throughout the room as the newly resurrected man tried to regain his breath, and the demon just stood there and watched, rubbing the blonde’s back. Finally breathing normally again, blue eyes glanced over to meet red ones, confusion and shock very visible in the light blue orbs. This was nothing new to Damien.

“You…?” Kenny asked hoarsely

“Go to sleep. You’ll forget all this in a bit.” The antichrist told him.

The blonde stayed quiet for a moment, letting the information he was seeing sink in, and putting the pieces together. His eyes grew wide upon realizing what Damien had done for him-- had _been_ doing for him.

“Thank you.”

Damien nodded, and tapped Kenny’s forehead with his index finger, making the blonde pass out instantly. Now came definitely the hardest and most painful part of his task; arranging the very universe itself to act like Kenny had never died. Memories needed erasing, and events needed to unfold, all around the course of the “immortal” man’s revival. Of course, while everyone on Earth would forget, those in Heaven and Hell would still remember-- the only exception being Kenny himself. After all, who could forget their own death? Fortunately, he wouldn’t remember waking up after his revival, only remembering his own demise and waking up the next morning. While Damien was keeping him “alive” so to say, he didn’t want the human to realize it.

This was a duty best done in the solitude of his own room, where his screams of pain could easily be mistaken for the suffering of the tortured souls in Hell. Damien hated doing this more than anything, but for Kenny’s sake, he would bare through it. Once again, the demon sunk through a portal, heading towards the fiery abyss that served as his home.

\---

Screams echoed through Damien’s bedroom, and sharp nails clawed at his own chest, as if trying to removed the burning sensation from his heart. The pain was almost unbearable, and at that moment the antichrist _wished_ he could receive the abuse that Hell had to offer instead of the torture currently being handed to him by his own body. Over the past few years it had caused him pain to use his demonic powers, but the past year in particular had been _excruciating._ He could barely summon a flame without his body betraying him, but he still continued doing strenuous magic like resetting time. Yet every time he was forced to relive this pain one thing came to mind;

_‘You’re doing this for him.’_

Was it truly worth it though? He’d taken precautions to make sure Kenny would never know what he’d done for him, not wanting the human to think is was indebted to the demon. All Damien ever got in return was a “thank you” that the blonde would forget he’d ever said in the morning. Even so, the prince of Hell continued the constant cycle of Kenny’s resurrection, and he wouldn’t stop until it killed him.

 

**Age 17**

After nearly ten years, Satan had figured out the mysterious circumstances behind Kenny McCormick’s mysterious life cycle. He was surprised to say the least-- not only that but he was pissed as well, but most of all concerned. His own son had gone behind his back and had been resurrecting the so-called “immortal” boy, and had been doing so for a decade. Damien had never been one to care for others, which only made this whole ordeal more confusing. Sure, him and Kenny would hang out and chat when the blonde had met a terrible fate, but it wasn’t much more than that. They could be considered friends, but Satan would have _never_ thought that Damien would have taken things this far.

A knock at the door interrupted the beast’s thoughts.

“Come in.” The king of Hell called, knowing exactly who it was..

A black-clad teen pushed open the door, looking rather amused by his father’s summons. “What do you want?”

Satan rolled his eyes at his son’s behavior. So much for respecting your elders. “How close are you and Kenny?”

“We’re friends, I guess. We really only hang out when he dies since I don’t go to the surface that often. Why?”

“Yes, well, that’s what I wanted to talk about.”

“You want me to go to the surface more often?” Damien raised a brow.

“No, no, it’s about you and Kenny. More importantly what you’ve been _doing_ for Kenny.”

Damien froze for a moment, but kept his calm vibe about him. He wasn’t positive that his father knew yet, so it was best not to admit it before he was sure. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, cut the bullshit! I know you’ve been resurrecting Kenny every time he dies!” The beast snapped.

Ah, there it was. “So? It’s just one person, I don’t see what the big deal is…”

“It _is_ a big deal! What you’re doing is very dangerous!”

“How? Kenny gets to live, and I--”  
“You get what? What could you _possibly_ get out of this?”

The noirette stopped for a moment. What _did_ he get out of this?

Seeing his child’s confusion, Satan let out a sigh. “Damien, sit down…”

The young demon hesitantly took a seat across from his father’s desk, staring down at his hands on his lap, and not daring to look his father in the eye.

“Son, listen… You can’t bring back the dead.” The beast began.

“But I--”   
Satan held up a hand to silence his child, “You notice how Kenny dies a lot, right? Why do you think that is?”

“Because he has bad luck?”

The king of Hell scoffed, “No, because he’s _supposed_ to be dead. The universe itself is trying to correct a mistake. A mistake that _you_ keep making. It’s trying to correct the anomaly that is Kenny McCormick’s life.”

“So? I’ll bring him back as many times as it takes. Not even God can stop me.” The demon glared, very serious about the matter.

“You can’t keep doing that, you’re literally killing yourself!”

“Okay, I’ll bite. How?” Damien said suspiciously.

Satan sighed, “Each time you revive Kenny, you’re using a piece of your own soul. Normally if this was done once or twice it wouldn’t be a huge deal, but you’ve done it _hundreds_ of times. I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s becoming harder and more painful to cast spells-- that’s because you don’t have as much life force as you used to. Look, there’s two ways this can go; you can either resurrect Kenny so many times that he completely has your soul, or you could let Kenny die in peace. A few days after Kenny dies he won’t need the pieces of your soul anymore, and they’ll go back to you.”

“What happens if Kenny has my soul?” Damien asked, genuinely curious.

Satan paused, unsure of how to answer this. It would probably be best to mislead him so he didn’t get any ideas, but he knew that the young demon could easily see through his lies. The beast let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding, and did something he would regret for the rest of his life; tell the truth.

“He’d be able to live a normal life, however you would disappear completely. The universe currently has too many people in existence, but if you were you vanish while giving Kenny your soul, it would even everything out.”

Damien thought over his options for a moment, taking note that there _was_ a way to save Kenny. All it would take was a little while longer of reviving him, and the blonde could actually start _living._

Satan noticed his son’s mind wandering, fear beginning to take hold of him as he realized that his only child might be willing to sacrifice himself for a mere mortal. “Let me make this clear; you won’t be stuck in Hell, and you won’t go to Heaven, you’ll completely _vanish._ It would be like you never existed in the first place. Do you understand?”  
The noirette let out a sigh, “Yes, dad.”

“Good.” The beast said, very relieved that his son saw his point. “That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. You can go now, I have some work to do.”

Damien nodded and headed out of his father’s office. Yes, he understood; if he wanted to save Kenny it would cost him his own existence. A price he was willing to pay.

 

**Age 18**

The two young men walked through the brimstone paths of Hell, idly conversing and enjoying each other’s company. Damien was never one for socializing, however with Kenny around it was different; he actually liked and cared about the blonde. The human didn’t seem to mind his own company either, and they two of them both got along perfectly, almost as if they were meant for each other.

“--So then Cartman killed the kid’s parents and served them to him as chili!” Kenny finished his story.

Damien laughed at the ridiculousness and sadism of it all. It was a rather dark story, but it was just the sort of thing that was right up his alley. The demon rather enjoyed his friend’s stories about him and his acquaintances. Most of the time they would get themselves into absurd situations, occasionally leading to the blonde’s untimely demise. Even so, hearing Kenny rant on about how much fun he had on Earth, and how much he loved his friends and family… It made Damien feel like all his work was worthwhile.

The human entwined his fingers with the demon’s still going on about whatever shenanigans him and his friend’s had gotten into this week. The noirette was taken by surprise at first, but embraced the gesture, and walked along the path of brimstone and ash, hand-in-hand with the man he cared about the most.

The man he _loved_.

 

**Age 7**

Technically speaking, Damien wasn’t supposed to be wandering the depths of Hell alone; his father had told him he was too young for that just yet. Unfortunately, the young demon had a knack for adventure, and couldn’t help himself from exploring. While his father was away at work, the small noirette had managed to sneak away from his caretaker, and began to wander the first layer of hell, somehow making his way to the ashen gates where new souls entered. He’d never seen so many people in his life, and was a bit overwhelmed by them all. He was used to the constant screaming emanating through the fiery hellscape, but this seemed different… These people were quaking in fear of the unknown, while the current tormented souls knew _exactly_ what they were to be fearing.

Short legs dashed through the crowd of people, taking in new sights and sounds. The sound of crying and screaming echoed through his ears as the newcomers were subjected to their respective punishments. He didn’t know where he was going, but it was an adventure nonetheless, and he was a proud _adventurer._

Damien’s parade was stopped short as he bumped into something head first. The young demon landed on his ass, and rubbed his now sore head, looking up at what-- or _who_ \-- he’d hit. His gleaming red eyed met stunning blue ones, and he noticed the lost soul that he’d run into seemed to be around his height and age. The young boy wore an orange parka that covered most of his face, but what stuck out most to the young antichrist was the fact that he wasn’t crying or screaming in terror.

“Sorry, dude! Are you okay?” Said the orange-clad child, and stuck out his hand to help Damien up, his voice muffled by his coat.

“Yeah.” The small noirette answered, taking the strange boy’s hand. “Who’re you? Aren’t you scared?”

The boy pulled Damien back up to his feet, “I’m Kenny, and not really.”  
The young demon brushed off his pants and looked at his new acquaintance confusedly, “Why not? Don’t you know where you are?”

“I dunno. Hell, I guess? What’s your name?”  
“I’m Damien… But how’d you die?”

“I was out swimming in the lake with my friends, and… Well, you can figure out the rest. How’d _you_ die?”

Damien nodded at Kenny’s short story, but puffed up with pride when asked the question, “I’m not dead! I’m the prince of Hell! Satan’s my dad!”

“Cool.” The young blonde nodded. “You want to play with me? It’s kind of boring waiting in line…”

“Sure!” The heir of Hell answered, grabbing his new friend by the hand, and dragging him off, “We can go to my house! I have tons of toys.”

\---

When Damien’s father came home later that day, he surprised to find another child playing with the young demon. After much convincing from the antichrist, Satan had agreed to let Kenny stay; Damien needed a friend after all. It was a fair trade for both parties; Damien got a playmate, and Kenny didn’t get tortured. For a few weeks all was well, until one day something unexpected happened. For the first time since Kenny’s arrival in Hell, he cried.

“What’s wrong?” The small noirette asked his weeping friend, concern audible in his voice.

“I-I miss everyone! I want my mom, I want to see my friends, I want to go _back!_ ” The blonde sobbed out.

Damien didn’t know what to do in this situation; he’d never been around anyone crying before. Even so, the young demon lord had grown quite close to Kenny, and seeing him cry made the noirette’s chest ache. While he didn’t want his only friend to leave, he didn’t want him to be miserable either, and began hatching a plan in his mind.

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out!” The young demon said, and wrapped his arms around Kenny to comfort him.

\---

Damien rummaged through the various bookshelves in his father’s study, looking for something to help his friend’s current dilemma. Various spellbooks were thrown on the floor, none of them matching the situation he was currently in. The young demon finally found it though; something to save Kenny. It was in a thick book labeled “The Cycle of Life and Death,” buried within the final chapter. With it came three spells; how to reanimate a corpse, how to put a soul back in a body, and how to reset time.

It was exactly what he needed.

Casting the spells was an easy feat for the young demon. Due to his title as the antichrist, his powers far surpassed the lesser demons, and he managed to resurrect his friend within the hour. No one knew what had happened that day other than the young demon himself-- not even Kenny knew what Damien had done for him. While Damien would miss his friend dearly, he recognized that it hurt him more than he could ever imagine to see someone he cared about in anguish. The young demon would sleep better at night knowing that Kenny could live happily on Earth. That is, until the young boy came back two weeks later.

Thus started the cycle of Kenny McCormick’s life and death.

 

**Age 14**

“Damien, I don’t know if I can do this anymore!” The blonde wailed, gripping his head between his hands, and letting a river of tears flow down his cheeks.

This was the one time during his duties where Damien nearly regretted what he was doing. Kenny had finally broken down after countless deaths, suddenly letting his tears flow in front of  the noirette. The orange-clad teen was sick of the pain, sick of the constant revivals, he just wanted it to _end._ Damien considered coming clean for a moment, and letting the blonde finally die in peace. He could give Kenny a good afterlife here, taking care of him and treating him like royalty...

“What about your friends? Your family? Won’t you miss them?” Damien pried, making _sure_ that this is what Kenny wanted.

“Of course I would! They mean the world to me! It’s just… what about me? Is it selfish to only think of myself in this situation?”

Damien pondered the question for a minute, trying to think of a good answer. It was then that a sudden realization struck him; Kenny didn’t belong here. He belonged on Earth, or even better-- in Heaven. Being stuck in the fiery wasteland for all eternity would only make him unhappy, and it was unlikely that Damien could satisfy him for forever.

“I… don’t know.” The demon answered his friend’s question truthfully. “But I can tell you this; life is a precious thing to waste. You’ve been given too many chances to just give them all up now, you need to keep moving forward. If you won’t do it for your family and friends, do it for _me._ I know what it’s like being stuck down here, and I don’t want you to meet that same fate.”

Kenny looked confusedly at Damien through globs of tears. He didn’t quite understand why the demon cared so much about this, but he appreciated his support nonetheless. Wiping away his tears, and trying not to let anymore fall, Kenny took a deep breath.

“Thanks, Damien…” The human choked out, and wrapped his arms around the demon, to which the noirette returned the gesture.

“So you’ll keep going?”  
“Yeah. It’s not like I have a choice anyway. I’ll probably get revived no matter what.”

Damien tensed up slightly at his words-- if only the blonde knew the truth. Even so, Kenny had agreed to lived on, and Damien would help him live up to the decision no matter what.

 

**Age 19**

The two young men laid together in Damien’s king sized bed, both of them naked and sweating from what they’d just done. They’d just started dating a few months ago, but because they could only interact during Kenny’s trips to the underworld, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other once they were in contact. While the demon could technically visit Earth, his father had warned him against it several times, telling him that he would stick out like a sore thumb and frighten the humans. Damien didn’t see the big deal, but did as he was told-- with the exception of when he had a job to do.

“That was fun.” Kenny smiled at the noirette, panting slightly.

“Very.” Damien agreed, running his clawed hand through his boyfriend’s messy blonde hair.

“I miss you when I’m not down here you know.” The human muttered, cuddling closer to the noirette and wrapping his arm around his torso.

“I miss you too, but you have a life to live, and I can’t always be a part of it.” The demon said and planted a kiss on his lover’s forehead.

Kenny pouted, “You always say that. I want you to be a part of my life!”

Damien laughed under his breath, “Well, I’m a part of your death, if that makes any difference.”  
“Not funny…”

“I know, I know.”

“But why are you so obsessed with me living?”

“Because, an angel like you doesn’t belong down here.”  
Kenny laughed, “With all the shit I do, I sure as hell ain’t going to Heaven!”

The noirette frowned, “Maybe if I wasn’t here, you’d be more tempted to aim for Paradise.”

“I want you here though. It’s the only thing that makes dying bearable.”

“Focus less on dying, and more on living.”

“Why do you want me to go to Heaven so bad though? You’re down here.”

“Because, you don’t deserve to be down here.”  
“Well, whoever keeps throwing me in Hell says otherwise.” Kenny chuckled.

Damien let out a sigh, and looked his partner in the eyes, “If something were to ever happen to me, and we couldn’t see each other anymore, you have to promise me you’ll at least _try_ to go to Heaven.”  
“What’re you talking about? You’re not sick or anything, right?” Kenny asked with concern in his voice.

“Just _promise me_ , okay?”

The blonde pondered for a moment, taken back by the sudden seriousness of the situation, but gave a single nod in response.

“Good.” Damien said, relieved.   
“But you have to promise _me_ something.” The human said sternly.

“What’s that?”  
“That you’ll never leave me.”

“I promise.” The demon lied.

 

**Age 21**

The demon laid in his bed, covered in blankets to help warm his freezing body. Damien felt weak, like his body could easily fall apart at any moment. His body was freezing, and his temperature was far below what it was supposed to be, along the aching in his bones. While the pain wasn’t as excruciating as when he was casting spells, it still fucking hurt, and he just wanted it to end already. He had one last revival in him, and he had to do it, to just end it all, so that Kenny could live a normal life. He’d miss him dearly, and he was sure the blonde would feel the same, but the demon had gotten this far, and it was too late to turn back now. He’d do this for him. He had to.

He heard the door slam open, but dared not open his tired eyes, just assuming that it was a lower demon coming to take care of him, or his father checking up on him. He was tired, he just wanted to sleep, but he had to wait for Kenny to die once more before he would be rewarded with the sweet embrace of nothingness he was promised. For a moment he wondered what it was like to not exist-- to seem like you’d never come into being, but he would find out soon enough. He just assumed it was like sleeping, just for all eternity. That didn’t sound so bad…

“Damien!?” Kenny’s voice echoed loudly throughout his bedroom, followed by the sound rushed footsteps that stopped next to his bed.

Thick lashes fluttered open to find a sobbing blonde staring at him from above. This wasn’t part of his plan; Kenny was never supposed to witness him like this. It was one of the few times he’d seen the human cry-- the third to be exact. However, this time he was crying because of the demon’s well being, which only managed to make Damien’s heart ache even more.

“Sorry, you weren’t supposed to see me like this. I’m fine.” The noirette whispered, not able to make his volume any higher.

“You’re obviously not fine!” Kenny practically shouted, tears running down his cheeks, “Your dad told me _everything!_ Why have  you been doing this if it’s going to kill you!?”

The dying demon let the blonde’s words process in his mind, “He told you…?”  
“Yes! Damien, just stop, I’m fine with staying down here with you! Just let me die, there’s no point in living without you!”

Damien let out a hoarse chuckle, “Technically you never ‘lived’ with me in the first place.”

“This isn’t _funny!_ You’re dying because of me, didn’t you ever stop to think about how _I_ feel!? How I’d go on without you!?”

The noirette frowned. Of course he had, he realized how painful it would be for the blonde to accept Damien’s fate. However, the pros outweighed the cons, and he wouldn’t let Kenny be trapped in Hell forever. It would hurt at first, sure, but over time that hole in his heart would heal, and Damien would be forgotten. The demon had already accepted that, he had Kenny’s best intentions in mind.

“I’m sorry.” Damien breathed out weakly. He wasn’t sorry for what he did however, he was sorry that Kenny had to find out.

“It’s okay…” The blonde whimpered, wiping away his tears. “Your dad said that in a few days, my soul will realize that it doesn’t need your’s to keep on living anymore, and it’ll go back to you. I’ll stay with you until, then okay?”

The next few hours were mostly just chitchat between the two. Damien listened to Kenny’s stories while the blonde lay in bed with him, smothering him in kisses whilst his arm was wrapped around the noirette’s waist. The demon enjoyed his company, and snuggled closer to the human to absorb his body heat into his own icy body. Eventually, Kenny had fallen asleep, and Damien just laid there and stared for a few minutes. His face was peaceful and serene, and his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. It was a sight to see, and the noirette was glad he could witness it one last time.

Despite Kenny’s protests, Damien still had a job to do. Maybe he wouldn’t appreciate it now, but he would much later in life. The demon had seen how humans had wasted their lives away, doing nothing but sinning and fighting. He didn’t want Kenny to be like that, and maybe with him out of the way, the blonde could finally embrace Heaven where he belonged. Despite his muscles fighting against him, Damien climbed out of bed, and opened a familiar portal beneath his feet. It was time to give Kenny the best gift he could possibly give.

The gift of life.

\---

Kenny awakened with a groan, still groggy and half asleep. Blue eyes half opened and stared groggily at the dirty ceiling. His old mattress wasn’t good for his back, and he wished he could be back in Damien’s soft bed, the two of them wrapped around each other, and enjoying each other’s company. The blonde’s eyes snapped open, realizing that that was _exactly where he was supposed to be._ Panic began to overtake the young man, yet he remained in complete denial that Damien did what he thought he did. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t leave Kenny all alone, right?

“Ah… I didn’t expect you to wake up so soon.” Came a weak voice.

Kenny turned to see the antichrist huddled in a corner on the floor, looking weaker and more frail than he had before Kenny fell asleep. His face was paler than usual, and he seemed to be struggling to take each breath, but the most noticeable concern were the small, glowing lights emanating from his body. The human jumped out of his bed and ran over to the disappearing demon.

“Oh god, oh god, _what did you do!?_ ” Kenny panicked, tears once again beginning to flow from his eyes.

“I’ve told you over and over again that there is nothing more precious than life. Were you not listening?” Damien chuckled weakly.

“What about your _own_ life, huh!? Did you ever think of that!?”

“Not important. What matters here is _you._ ”

“What the fuck are you talking about!? Why do _I_ matter and you don’t!?”Kenny sobbed, wrapping his arms around the demon’s glowing body and pulling him close.

“Because I love you.” Damien murmured. “Which-- to me at least-- makes your life more valuable than my own.  
“I love you too, you idiot.” Kenny weeped, and buried his face into the noirette’s raven locks.

“Do you know why I did it?”  
“W-why?” Came Kenny’s muffled cry of a response.

“Because when we were kids, I couldn’t bare to see you cry. You said you missed your friends, and you wanted to go back. Then when we were fourteen, you broke down because all the constant dying was starting  to get to you. I almost stopped doing it then, but then I realized something…”

“What?”

“You don’t belong in Hell. You’re an angel among demons, Kenny, the thought of you being trapped in Hell forever physically pained me.”

The glow started to become stronger, and Kenny let out a choked sob, pulled Damien closer to him. Vanishing wasn’t as awful as the demon had thought. It was painless-- blissful, even. He felt weak, but no amount of discomfort coursed through his body. It just felt like he was falling asleep, waiting for a euphoric dream to unfold.

“Please don’t leave me…” Kenny begged.

“It’s a bit late for that... “ Damien smiled fondly, “But don’t worry. Time heals all wounds; you’ll forget me eventually…”

“I could _never_ forget you!”

“It makes me happy to hear that…” The noirette buried his face in Kenny’s chest, taking in the familiar scent. “Could you do me a favor though?”

“Yeah?”

“Behave. Get into Heaven if you can-- if not don’t worry. Dad promised to take care of you. Just… Do your best okay? For me?”

Kenny continued to weep, but nodded.

“Good.” Damien sighed in relief. “Now, live your life.”

“I love you.” The human sobbed, “I love you _so_ much…”

The demon smiled, happy that that would be the last thing he would hear. As his body faded away into nothingness, Damien let out one last remark;

“I love you too.”

 

**???**

Damien was confused when he awoke, since he never thought he would see anything again. He looked at his hands and limbs, noticing they were transparent. Was he a ghost? He looked around the room, noticing the familiar surroundings. This was Kenny’s bedroom… The former demon looked at the mattress on the floor, noticing the sleeping body of the man he thought he’d never see again.

An alarm rang, grabbing his attention, and he watched as the blonde opened his eyes and shut off the clock, though not daring to get out of bed. He just stared at the ceiling for a while, unmoving, with the occasional tear running down his face. Damien tried to comfort him, brushing his hands through the matted blonde locks, before realizing that it had no effect. Kenny couldn’t see, hear, or feel him. A few hours passed, and three figures-- that Damien could only assume were Kenny’s friends that he’d talked so much about-- walked into the room, arguing with one another before turning their attention to the brooding body on the bed.

“Kenny we need to talk.” The redhead said.

“Yeah, seriously dude, you’ve been sulking in your room for two weeks.” The man with the blue and red hat said, looking at Kenny in a concerned fashion.

“Just tell us what happened and get over it.” A heavy man interjected, looking completely unfazed by Kenny’s current situation.

Kenny just rolled over on his side, ignoring the group that was in his room, and closing his eyes.

“Nope, we’re not doing this!” The redhead frowned and walked over to the blonde, pulling him out of bed.

The three men managed to get Kenny dressed and drag him out of the house-- quite literally-- apparently going to get something to eat after noticing how slim the blonde was. Damien followed, feeling a bit empty inside after seeing his former lover’s current state. Had he caused this?

The four men sat around a table, waiting for their food and joking with each other, with the exception of Kenny who stayed silent. The former immortal stared down at the table, not making eye contact with his friends, only adding to their concern. Finally, the one wearing a green ushanka decided to say something.

“Kenny... ? What happened to you?”

Kenny didn’t answer, instead letting tears litter his face once again.

\---

It had taken a few years for Kenny to get back to the happy-go-lucky person he once was, but Damien followed him the whole way. Despite not being able to be seen or heard, the former demon couldn’t bare to leave his ex-lover alone, watching him grow through his life. Kenny had done as Damien instructed; trying his best not to do anything that counted as a “sin” or “evil” in attempt to make it into Heaven. The noirette was relieved for this, and could only hope that God would take mercy on him in the end.

Kenny wasn’t much for relationships Damien had noticed, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of him. The ghost shook the thought out of his head, realizing he was being conceited, and that he was probably long forgotten by now. Even so, the longest relationship he had lasted four years with Kyle Broflovski, ending because Kenny didn’t want to get married. However, it did hurt the former demon to see the blonde go through most of his life alone.

One of the many things Damien was proud of Kenny for was going to college. The blonde had managed to get an art degree and become mildly successful-- much to the ghost’s pleasure. He had many art shows, people buying his paintings for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars... Kenny lived a good life, and Damien followed him every step of the way.

\---

Damien woke up in a field. The grass flowed in the delicate breeze, and various kinds of flowers littered the area, all flourishing and growing. It was beautiful, and the former demon had never seen anything like it, but it made no sense. He was just asleep in Kenny’s nursing home, sleeping in the chair next to the aged man. What was he doing here?

Damien looked around, noticing something-- or someone-- in the distance. Having no idea where he was or what was going on, he strode forward with his long legs, slowly picking up a run. The figure began to grow closer, allowing the noirette to make out it’s features better. He could immediately recognize an orange parka and blonde hair blowing in the wind, which made him pick up as pace, sprinting as fast as he could. It couldn’t be…

The noirette halted a few feet away from the figure facing away from him, still not believing what he was seeing. The Kenny he knew was an old man, but… Was this real?  
“Kenny?” Damien spoke, unsure of himself.

The figure turned around, gracing Damien’s presence with the familiar blue eyes of his partner. He was young, no older than he and Damien had been when the former demon had “died.” It was impossible, but here he stood in front of him, real as ever.

Kenny tilted his head to the side, trying to process the being before him. The black clothing, pointed ears, fangs, glowing red eyes… They were all familiar, and yet he was positive he would never see the man again. The two stared at each other for a minute, taking in each other’s presence, and letting the fresh breeze blow their hair around. Finally, the blonde spoke, saying a name that he hadn’t said in ages.

“Damien?”

The two men ran at each other holding each other tightly and falling to their knees. It was a miracle that they were reunited, but neither dared complain, both of them soaking in each other’s existence.

“Never leave me again.” Kenny begged as he embraced his partner.

“I never left you in the first place…” Damien grinned. “I’ll stay with you forever.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”


End file.
